Election cttee rejects referendum bids on Paks, higher education

The National Election Committee (NVB) rejected nine referendum initiatives at a meeting on Thursday.

All the questions were submitted by the same private individual.

One question asked whether all nuclear plant blocks which start operating after January 1, 2018 should be terminated after 180 days of operation. The committee unilaterally rejected the question as one warranting changes to the constitution and international agreements, and cited the upgrade of Paks, Hungary’s only nuclear plant.

Another question asked whether higher education institutions accredited by parliament should operate under the Hungarian higher education law. The NVB unilaterally rejected the question, saying “the question would give the impression to voting citizens that they could bring about a decision regarding foreign universities”.

A further question proposed that individuals making the confidentiality declaration required by law should be allowed access to the documents of the communist-era secret services from 1944 to 1994. The question was rejected as it would warrant changes to the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the committee also ordered the monitoring of signatures collected by a European citizens’ initiative, “Mum, Dad and Kids”, proposing that “traditional concepts of marriage and family” be used in the EU.

Source: MTI